-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For many families , the school year just started , but for Karen Suffern , it 's not too early to start planning for Christmas .

The financially struggling single mother of fraternal twins recently asked her 8-year-olds to write down a list of things they would like from Santa . Suffern , who works part time as an administrative assistant for a home health care company , wanted to start budgeting for the holidays . She knew her twins , who just began third grade , were at the age where they would start asking for electronics and other expensive gifts .

Her son , Ryan 's , letter to Santa started off normally :

`` Dear Santa ... I wanted a -LRB- remote control -RRB- car and helicopter , but I do n't want that anymor . Kid at school are still picking on Amber and its not fair , '' he wrote . `` I prayed that they will stop but god is bisy and needs your help . ''

Suffern felt tears fill her eyes as she read her son 's letter asking Santa to help stop the bullying his overweight sister was experiencing at school .

Reading the letter was tough for Suffern . `` I try to build up my daughter 's self-esteem and tell her she is beautiful , but people say hurtful things to me , because I also have a weight problem , and that hurts me , '' she said . `` I ca n't imagine what she goes through . ''

She had a vague idea that Amber was teased on the bus , but she did n't know the extent of the bullying . Amber , who has attention-deficit -LRB- hyperactivity -RRB- disorder and other mental and mood disorders , never mentioned the teasing .

Bully-proofing your kids

Suffern explains that Amber is an emotional eater and weighs 140 pounds , nearly twice the size of her brother , Ryan .

The twins returned to school three weeks ago at Rocky Mount Preparatory in North Carolina . It 's the first time Ryan and Amber have been in the same classes .

Ryan would come up to Suffern to tell her in private about classmates bullying Amber -- how the kids in gym class would laugh at her when she could not do the bear crawl on the floor , tease her about her weight in class or tell her that she was adopted because she is multiracial .

`` Every day when she goes to school , she says , ` Mommy , can I just stay at home ? ' and she just does n't want to go . ' And now every time I send her to school , I feel like I am not protecting her and I am letting her down , '' Suffern said .

After reading her son 's letter over the weekend , Suffern shared it online with friends , including Tony Posnanski 's Facebook page , where he features stories of inspiration , weight loss and life advice .

Posnanski says he was moved by Ryan 's letter because it reminded him of his childhood . `` When I was a kid , I was bullied for a bit '' because of his weight , he explained . Posnanski posted the story to CNN iReport , where it quickly garnered thousands of page views .

`` I wanted to do something to get -LRB- the story -RRB- out , '' Posnanki said , adding that bullying is a serious issue that deserves attention .

A study released Monday in the journal Pediatrics says there is an association between being bullied and psychosomatic problems , meaning children who are bullied run the risk of higher mental problems that can cause them physical distress . Study authors Gianluca Gini and Tiziana Pozzoli write , `` Given that school bullying is a widespread phenomenon in many countries around the world , the present results indicate that bullying should be considered a significant international public health problem . ''

Others studies report that as many as one in four children is bullied . There have been several incidents of teens bullied to the point of committing suicide , most recently 12-year-old Rebecca Sedwick , who jumped off a building because of cyberbullying .

Suffern says Ryan 's letter to Santa sheds new light on her daughter 's situation , and she plans on speaking to Amber 's teachers and the parents of the bullies at school .

`` If my kids do n't call names and pick on others , I would expect other parents to teach their kids to be respectful , too , '' she said . `` There have been times my kids would point at others and say , ` why is her hair so strange ' and things like that , and I would say , ` You know , people are different , and that is just the way they are . ' ''

She says it 's important to realize that bullying comes in all sorts of forms . `` I understand that sometimes schools try to do as much as they can , but bullying does n't have to physical ; name-calling and putting someone down are considered bullying to me . ''

And Suffern says she is glad to have a selfless son like Ryan -- plus Santa -- watching out for Amber , too .

Father , son lose 260 pounds after weight loss surgery

Update : Rocky Mount Prep Charter School posted a statement on its website Monday . It reads in part :

`` We are hyper-vigilant at Rocky Mount Prep to prevent , intervene and protect our scholars from instances such as this . Our teachers and staff have received training to recognize and address these types of behaviors , and we are proud of the way they respond . We are saddened that this has taken place within our school family , and we can assure all of our parents , scholars and community that we will continue to do everything possible to provide them with a positive and safe learning environment . ''

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8-year-old Ryan wrote a letter to Santa after seeing his sister being bullied at school

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Ryan 's sister Amber is bullied by her peers on the bus and during class because of her weight

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Mother shared story with blogger Tony Posnanski , who posted it on CNN iReport

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Ryan 's letter to Santa gained thousands of views